The present invention relates generally to mobile computing. More particularly, the present invention relates to methods of connection for portable data processors such as laptop computers.
In recent years, decreasing power requirements and increased performance of microprocessors has lead to increased use of portable data processors such as a laptop computers, notebook computers or personal digital assistants (PDAs). Portable data processors provide much, if not all, of the functionality of the older, immobile desktop computers but add portability as a feature. In fact, advances in display technology have made high resolution, low power, color or monochrome-displays commonplace on portable computers which has furthered the replacement of desktop systems with portable systems. As portable data processors have gained in popularity it has become more and more frequent that portable data processors have to communicate with another computer either directly or through networks. Also, this communication quite often is from a remote location with varying techniques of communication being available.
Despite the frequent need to connect a portable data processor to another processor this task has become highly complex and can be very frustrating and intimidating to all but the most advanced computer users. These techniques often involve the user knowing Internet Protocol (IP) addresses, communication protocols, modem set up information, network addresses or a multitude of telephone numbers for various dial-in devices. To further complicate the matter, not all modes of connection will be available to the portable computer user from all the varying locations in which the portable computer could be used.
As an example of the problem facing a portable computer user, when in the office a portable computer may be connected either directly to another computer through a parallel or serial cable, to a hardwired network through a Network Interface Card (NIC) or to a wireless network through a wireless network interface or to multiple types of networks such as peer-to-peer or client-server networks. Furthermore, more than one server can reside on a network and the address of the server to which the portable computer is to communicate must be selected to provide the desired access. When out of the office the portable computer could communicate with the office network through an Internet provider, directly by telephone line, by cellular telephone or by satellite telephone. In addition to knowing how to properly setup each of the communication modes and paths of connection, each-of these varying modes of communication and connection paths provide advantages and disadvantages that the user must be aware of to provide the most efficient, cost effective and reliable communication to a second computer. This is a daunting task for even experienced computer users.
At the same time that technological advances in the computer industry brought ever increasing mobility to computers, demand for increased productivity among the workforce has brought more employees in contact with computers. This contact may be in the form of a portable computer such as a notebook computer or it may be in the form of a more customized processing application such as a PDA. As described above, despite the proliferation of mobile computing among an ever less computer trained user pool, the connections for portable data processors have remained complex and difficult to set up and to customize to a particular users changing situation. Thus, there is a need for improvements in connection systems between portable data processors and a second data processor such as a network or desktop computer.
In view of the above, it is one object of the present invention to provide a simplified connection of a portable data processor to a second data processor.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a connection which increases the likelihood that a user of a portable data processor will be able to connect to a second data processor.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a connection which reduces the amount of user input required to make such a connection.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a connection which is suitable for making connections between a portable data processor and a second data processor from a variety of locations and with a variety of connection techniques and connection paths.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a connection system which increases the performance of a portable data processor connection to a second data processor by selecting an effective connection available for the portable data processor.
In view of the objects, the present invention provides a connection from a portable data processor to a second data processor by acquiring a geographic location of the portable data processor and selecting a connection technique and/or a connection path associated with the acquired location of the portable data processor. The portable data processor then connects to the second data processor utilizing the selected connection technique and/or connection path.
In further aspects of the present invention the geographic location of the portable data processor is acquired by accepting user input specifying the location of the portable data processor. Alternatively, the geographic location of the portable data processor may be acquired by acquiring the location of the portable data processor through an automated position sensing system. In a particular embodiment of the present invention the geographic location of the portable data processor is acquired through a global positioning system.
In an additional embodiment of the present invention the portable data processor determines if it is in motion. The portable data processor then selects a connection technique and/or connection path based upon the portable data processor being in motion.
In a further embodiment of the present invention a connection technique and/or connection path is associated with an acquired location based upon the historical use of a connection technique at the specific location.
In yet another embodiment of the present invention the connection technique and/or connection path is selected from a plurality of connection techniques and/or connection paths associated with the acquired location. Furthermore, this plurality of connection techniques and/or connection paths may comprise a plurality of prioritized connection techniques and/or connection paths. In such a case the portable data processor is connected to the second data processor utilizing the highest priority connection technique and/or connection path which is capable of establishing a connection. In additional embodiments of the present invention the plurality of connection techniques and/or connection paths are prioritized based upon the data throughput performance of the connection technique and/or connection path. Alternatively, the plurality of connection techniques and/or connection paths are prioritized based upon the cost of using the connection technique and/or connection path.
As will be appreciated by those of skill in this art, the above described aspects of the present invention may also be provided as apparatus, data processing system or computer readable program means.